Lamb Cheeks Tagine and Rack of Lamb with Pea Puree and Spring Onions

Touted as “The Best Chef in America” by Esquire magazine, and Executive Chef at Luce in San Francisco, Dominique Crenn shares these special lamb recipes

with us. Chef Crenn has built a reputation globally for highlighting locally grown

and raised ingredients in her cooking. Though she is also known for her Northern

Italian specialties, in these dishes she incorporates flavors inspired by her

French-Moroccan heritage. From family, to farm, to table, enjoy these dishes with

a glass of Pellegrini wine.

Lamb Cheeks

16 oz lamb cheeks

1 cup flour

Cooking oil such as Canola

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

2 tablespoons Moroccan spices(If you don’t have Moroccan spices, use a blend of clove, turmeric, cardamom, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, paprika, and coriander. Flavor as desired.)

250 ml Pellegrini red wine

2 bay leaves

6 cups lamb stock

1 celery root, diced and blanched

2 local apricots, diced

1 tablespoon organic mint, finely chopped

Dredge the cheeks in flour. Heat oil in a large sauté pan until hot; add the cheeks and brown on each side. Remove cheeks and set aside. Sauté onion and carrots in the oil until well-colored, about 5 minutes. Place cheeks and vegetables in an oven-safe dish. Add Moroccan spices, wine, bay leaves, and enough lamb stock to cover the vegetables and cheeks. Cover dish with foil and braise at 250° until tender, about 8 hours. Remove from the oven and finish with blanched celery root, apricot, and mint.

Pea Puree

1 cup fresh, double shucked English peas

1/2 cup fresh mint

1/4 cup vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring 2 cups of water to boil and add the peas. Cook for 1 minute, then remove the peas and shock in ice water to halt cooking. Repeat blanching process for the mint, boiling for only 10 seconds. Combine the blanched peas and mint and vegetable stock; puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Spring Onions

3 spring onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

Toss spring onions in olive oil and roast at 250° until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Rack of Lamb

2 racks of local lamb, frenched

1 tablespoon Canola oil

2 tablespoons fresh herbs

1 tablespoon butter

Wrap the loin in plastic roulade-style; let rest in the fridge for 4 hours. In a hot skillet, add cooking oil and sear the lamb on both sides.Transfer to a 350° oven and roast for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and butter. When the lamb is done, let it rest for 5 minutes. Cut each rack in half. To plate, spread the pea puree and top with a serving of the tagine and a half rack of lamb. Garnish with spring onions.

Serves 4